Iraq Election: Abadi Trails Rivals

By John Lee.
According to media reports, the Nasr (Victory) Alliance led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is trailing in third place in the Iraqi general elections.
With more than half of votes counted, Saeroun (Marching Towards Reform) list, comprising Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr’s*Istiqama (Integrity) party and six mostly secular groups, is in the lead, says BBC News.
This is followed by the*Fatah (Conquest) bloc, linked to Iranian-backed Shia paramilitaries who fought the Islamic State (IS) group.
Turnout was low, at just 44.5 percent.More details here.(Source: BBC News)

I have a good feeling about this...

Originally Posted by Investors Iraq News

By John Lee.
According to media reports, the Nasr (Victory) Alliance led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is trailing in third place in the Iraqi general elections.
With more than half of votes counted, Saeroun (Marching Towards Reform) list, comprising Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadrís*Istiqama (Integrity) party and six mostly secular groups, is in the lead, says BBC News.
This is followed by the*Fatah (Conquest) bloc, linked to Iranian-backed Shia paramilitaries who fought the Islamic State (IS) group.
Turnout was low, at just 44.5 percent.More details here.(Source: BBC News)

Moqtada al-Sadr will be influential in the selection of the next PM and help guide Iraq to be more nationalistic and less sectarian in it's internal affairs. It's my guess that if Haider al-Abadi cannot form a new coalition in Parliament with al-Sadr's 'blessing', Ayad Allawi will be next PM. That would be good news for (1) reconciliation with the Sunnis, (2) lessening Iran's influence in Iraq's domestic affairs, (3) cleaning up the Iraqi government's corruption (which will take some doing), and (4) encouraging foreign investment which Iraq sorely needs.